i actually need a new pair of shoes. I've been buying a new pair of new balance every 6 months as theres always a hole that forms at the top of my left big toe. happened to 4 pairs now

stormy, whats a extremely comfortable shoe (i am constantly walking on concrete 40 hours a week), thats durable enough to withstand extreme wear and tear (unlike the new balance i buy) thats also relatively cheap? also id prefer to buy it at a store so i am able to try it on and see if i like it first. aint got no time for that return bullshit.

adidas' boost sole is the most comfortable thing on the planet, no contest. i can't speak to durability because i have a million pairs that i rotate, so none of them see a shitload of wear and tear, but i have a pair of black pureboost that i use for beaters/bad weather shoes that have seen more than anything else i've bought since and they're holding up just fine.

those are the cheaper version of their full boost midsole shoes, but i wouldn't call them cheap if you pay full retail. you can get good deals on them though, because they're not super hyped they're almost always eligible for discounts, so you can stack discount codes on top of sales to get a good deal. adidas has sitewide 30% off today with the code CYBER2017, you could get these for $63 if you're willing to take a gamble

for what it's worth, i haven't actually tried on a single pair of anything i've bought since i started collecting, i've ordered 100% online and never had any issues as long as i get my true size or as close to it as possible. adidas has free shipping (expedited if you register an account) and free returns if you don't like them

a fancy box doesn't usually entail any extra markup at retail, but it can make a big difference in resale price for coveted pairs. right now, a pair of ronnie fieg x asics GL3 homage is listed at ~400 in my size sans fancy box, 700 odd with. usually it's not that dramatic of a difference though

first haul of the week:

got my fancy super black pants back i sent them back for some free repairs 'cuz a rivet popped out

other recent november hauls:

adidas eqt 93/17, scored these for like $110 under retail price

nike airmax '97 OG japan

some t-shirts

the biggest letdown, a piece from the supreme x akira capsule that i can't wear because it's ridiculously oversized either gonna get sold or cut up for some arts and crafts type shit

and finally, the first designer thing i've ever owned, to go with an equally ridiculous pair of docs i scored over the summer

farfetch is crazy expensive on a lot of stuff because they don't actually sell directly, it's basically a service that allows small boutiques to sell online without having to maintain a storefront. a lot of the 'suppliers' on farfetch so to speak are retail shops based in the UK and europe, so there's two layers of markup and a disadvantageous currency conversion built into that price. i paid about half that getting it direct from japan

no, that was only like $150! as it happens, that is still the most i've spent on a single garment (barring maybe a heavy winter coat)

my interests shift around all the time. a couple of years ago, i was spending my fun money to buy single pittsburgh showdown cards that were anywhere from $100-250 a piece. i've dropped all kinds of money into upgrading my listening setup at home. this year, i decided to direct my spending at shoes and clothes. sometimes i buy a bunch of cheap things, others i will splurge and get something fancy.

it is probably hugely impractical and a giant waste, but no more or less so than the extra money i spend to drink good beer when i could just get wasted off rubbing alcohol grade vodka for a fraction of the cost

here we go, this shit is fancier than the fanciest and also only designer item i own:

first black friday hauls came in today, and also another SC3 shirt they didn't have on sale at the show in september. i wanted some nicely made cargoes to round out some basics, and found these handmade in canada hoebags on sale last week at 75% off. heavy twill for the winter months i think full retail on those + the indigo t was like $340, total cost with shipping came to $90 or so. that's cheaper than sweatshop mall clothes!

adidas nmd citysocks, another steal with discount stacking. besides looking dope as hell these things are bitchin' for clearing the walkway/driveway when it snows, full goretex lining keeps shit nice and dry

and for my final shoe score of the year, asics x kith x moncler gel lyte III. i love everything about these, but with the moncler collaboration these could have resale potential as they were quite limited and that's a hot brand people will spend obscene amounts of money on. i wanna wear them, but i'll probably keep 'em on ice for a bit to see where the price goes

the remainder of my spending this year will be for christmas gifts. i think i'm content with what i've got now, and i'm running out of space anyway; next year i will focus my efforts mainly on getting stuff i can flip for a decent profit.

some shoes are produced in relatively small numbers and are hugely in demand, usually because a rapper wore them. so if you can get lucky and score a pair when they release, you can sit on them for a time and then someone will pay you a large multiple of the retail price, because they wish to have the shoes that the rapper has, but they cannot buy them at the original price

it is admittedly a very dumb system, but one that allows for some minor profiteering with a minimal investment of time and money. there are some people/groups out there that do it for a living and have fancy expensive checkout bots to automate the accumulation of large numbers of coveted items, but it is a risky business to stake your living on

if you search around a bit you can probably find them cheaper or on sale through other retailers, and onitsuka occasionally do huge 50% off sales where you can get them on the cheap as well.

if you want something a little dressier/traditional, mark mcnairy's budget label has some good stuff too. i don't have any of these but it's on the to-do list for next year once i'm ready to get back on my bullshit:

if you're feeling spendy and want something a little more athletic, the adidas ultraboosts do come with a cage and laces, but they're strictly for decoration. the shoe itself is basically a technical knit fabric upper that hugs your foot and is the most obscenely comfortable thing ever made. there's a bunch on sale for 30% off right now too i think